Fastening device for corsets and other like garments.



R. M. HAHN.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR GORSETS AND OTHER LIKE GARMENTS.

APPLICATION FILED NOV. 12, 1910.

Patented Apr. '16, 1912.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH 60.. WASHINGTON. u. c

ROBERT MAXIMILLIAN HAHN, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

FASTENING DEVICE FOR CORSETS AND OTHER LIKE GARMEN'IS.

Application filed November 12, 1910.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 16, 1912.

Serial No. 591,994.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, ROBERT MAXIMILLIAN HAHN, a citizen of the United States, residing at London, England, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Fastening Devices for Corsets and other Like Garments, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to fastening devices for corsets and other like garments, of the kind which may be fastened, and unfastened without compressing the body of the wearer when it is desired to disengage the parts thereof; and has for its object the improvements hereinafter set forth.

Devices of the kind referred to, as heret0- fore constructed comprise busks, one of which is provided with sockets at or near its opposite extremities, while the ends of the fellow busk are free or exposed, and of such form that they may be inserted one after the other into the aforesaid sockets by springing the said busk. In order to keep the aforesaid parts in engagement it is necessary that means should be employed to prevent relative longitudinal movement of the busks, and also to prevent their being sprung apart by the tension which is put upon the garment while it is being worn. In one case it was proposed to provide one of the busks at its center with a stud to engage a hole in the other busk but this device failed to serve its purpose owing to the latter busk being pulled off the said stud when the strain of the corset was put upon the fastening device. In another case one of the busks was provided with a turn-button adapted to enter a longitudinal slot in the other busk which was retained in position by turning the button transversely. This device, however, did not prevent the relative longitudinal movement of the busks and was apt to be accidentally turned into a position which permitted the busks to be sprung apart.

Fastening devices of the kind referred to have for the reasons above stated lacked utility on account of their liability to come undone, and the object of the present improvements is to overcome this defect. To this end I employ a latch hinged to one of the busks, said latch having a hole or opening therein and being adapted to engage a stud carried by the other busk, such engagement being retained by the outer clothes of the wearer. As a further precaution the aforesaid stud is provided with a notch at the side remote from the adjacent busk so that the latch may be retained in the closed posit-ion after it has been brought into engagement therewith. This notch is provided with a flat side which resists the accidental unfastening of the latch.

According to a modified construction additional sockets or equivalent parts may be provided between the terminal sockets and the latch hereinbefore referred to and the fellow busk may be provided at corresponding parts with tongues adapted to engage the said intermediate sockets, the whole being retained in engagement by means of a latch of the character hereinbefore referred to. In this case, a long and a short busk may be employed together on one side so that the exposed ends of each will constitute the aforesaid tongues.

In some cases the aforesaid sockets, or equivalent parts, instead of being situated on the fiat side of the busk, may be located at or near the edges thereof, so that the busks, when the corset is fastened, are side by side instead of over-lapping. It will be understood that with the latter construction the. sockets are so placed that when the corset is fastened no space is left between the busks.

In use, the lower end of the exposed busk will be first inserted into the adjacent socket, when the said busk will be slightly buckled to enable its opposite end to be inserted into its cooperating socket, the busk will then be straightened and the latch folded over, so as to engage the stud with which the aforesaid busk is provided, by which means the parts are maintained in their proper positions. 7

I will now proceed to more particularly describe my invention with the aid of the accompanying drawings in which- Figure 1 is a rear side view of the left hand part of the corset, showing part of my improved fasteningv device. Fig. 2 is a front view of the right hand part of the corset, showing the other part of the improved fastening device. Fig. 3 is a transverse section through the two parts of the improved fastening device when they are in engagement. Fig. 4 is a front view of two corset busks illustrating another form of my improved fastening device, and Fig. 5 is an edge view thereof.

According to the construction illustrated by Figs. 1 to 3, the right hand busk a is prov vided with sockets b at its upper and lower extremities and has a hinged latch c at about its center. The left hand busk d is attached by any well known means to the corset, in the way illustrated by Fig. 1, so that the ends 6 thereof are free to be inserted through the slots f into the sockets b attached to the right hand busk. hand busk (Z is also provided with a stud 9 adapted to enter a slot h in the latch 0 attached to the right hand busk a. The Stud 9 is provided with a notch g which is engaged by the latch 0 to prevent it from becoming accidentally unfastened.

In order to fasten the corset, the exposed end a at the lower edge of the corset is first passed through the lower slot f, into the socket b at the lower end of the right hand busk, the upper ends of the busks are then brought together and the left hand one bent or buckled sufficiently to enable its upper end to be introduced through the corresponding upper slot f into the socket b at the upper end of the busk a. The busk d is now caused to lie closely upon the fellow busk a and the latch 0 is turned on its hinge so that the stud 9 passes through the hole h; with which the said latch is provided. With this arrangement the tension of the corset causes the notch in the stud g to engage the latch 0 so that it cannot be accidentally undone. It will also be observed that the wearers overgarments, will prevent the latch 0 from'being disengaged from the stud g.

According to the modified form of fasten-1 ing illustrated by Figs. 4: and 5, the right hand busk a is provided with four socket-s b; one at each end and another at a short dis% tance from'each end. In this case the left hand busk is composed of a long steel cl and 'a'short steel 03* or equivalent part, which are riveted or otherwise secured to each other at'or near the center. Thesesteels cl d" are fitted to the corset in such a manner that the extremities of 'both the said steels ol 0?" ex-? tend through slots similar to those indicated by the letter in Fig. 2. The busk a is pro-i vided with a hinged latch 0 which is adapted The left" Y to engage a stud g secured to the steels (Z cl" as in the construction first described.

I wish it to be understood that I may vary my improved fastening devices, by applying to any of the busks or equivalent parts hereinbefore described one or more hinged latches of the kind shown in the drawing and by providing the other busk or its equivalent with suitable cooperating parts.

I claim:

1. A corset fastening device comprising a busk fastened to one side of the corset and having engaging parts at its ends and a latch provided with a hole therein hinged to the middle of said busk in combination with a busk fastened to the other side of the corset, such busk having free ends to cooperate with the engaging parts of the other busk, a stud at its middle to enter the hole in the hinged latch when folded into engagement therewith and a notch in said stud entered by said latch when tension is put .upon the corset substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

2. A corset fastening device comprising a busk fastened to one side of the corset and having a hinged latch at its middleand carrying a socket at each end and at points between said terminal sockets and said hinged latch, in combination with a busk fastened to the other side of the corsetand provided with a steel secured fixedly thereto, said busk and steel having a stud at their middle, the ends of thelast mentioned busk entering the terminal sockets of the other busk, the ends of the steel entering the aforesaid intermediate sockets, and the aforesaid stud engaging the latch hinged to the first mentioned busk when folded over the other to hold the device securely against accidental opening, substantially as set forth.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this'specification in the presence of ALBERT E. BARNELD, EDGAR A. SoDDIN.

copies of this patent maybe obtained for five cents each, byeddressing theCommissionerofIatents, Washington, D. G. 

